Apparatus for painting signs



Dec- 30 1941- s. J. MOLLET APPARATUS FOR PAINTING SIGNS Filed Mrarch 18, 1940 INVENTOR B Samuel I Mollet Y WM ATTOR Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PAINTING SIGNS Samuel J. Mollet, Massillon, Ohio, assignor to The Massillon-Cleveland-Akron Sign Company, Massillon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 18, 1940, Serial No. 324,516

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing signs, and particularly t0 improvements in apparatus used for the reticulated screen process printing of signs.

In the printing of signs as presently practiced, the sign is held in a printing frame which carries a silk screen and a suitable stencil underneath so that the stencil is in Contact with the sign and the screen is exposed. A considerable amount of paint is poured on the screen and printing is accomplished by wiping a squeegee member completely over the silk screen with sufficient pressure to remove all excess paint from the wiped portion of the screen. In order to obtain uniform deposits of paint on the signs, it is essential that the excess paint be completely wiped from the screen by the squeegee and that the pressure be varied as the paint becomes thicker with use and prolonged exposure.

Although squeegee printing machines have been produced to operate at constant pressure, such machines are not generally satisfactory for the preparation of signs, for the reason that no satisfactory provision is made for varying the pressure according to the characteristics of the paint used or the way it thickens.

In order to obtain the correct pressure on large signs, the squeegee is manually operated by two men, one man being at each end of the squeegee and grasping either the squeegee body or handles f fastened thereon, with the grip just above the body of the squeegee. While such hand operated squeegees are more satisfactory than the machine operated squeegee printing devices, the operators become so fatigued after two or three hours operation of the machine heretofore available that they do not apply the correct pressure to the screen.

It is an object of the invention to provide a low cost hand operated screen process sign painting device which may be properly operated for longer periods than heretofore without greatly fatiguing the operator.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention as illustrated by the drawing, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved sign printing device; and

Fig. 2 is a section through the squeegee member and the screen on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

My improved device is provided with a screen 2 of the woven type, preferably of silk, which is held substantially flat by means of frame 3, to which the screen may be fastened. The screen should preferably be stretched across the entire opening in the frame, which latter overlies the table 4. The frame 3 may be hinged to the table, which has a flat surface 5 for receiving the sign blank 6 to be imprinted. The sign blank is rmly held between the table 4 and the frame 3 when the latter is in printing position, as shown in Fig. l. The stencil I is disposed between the sign blank 6 and the screen 2.

The body member 9 of the squeegee carries a flexible wiping member IIJ and is rigidly attached to the crossbar I I, which may be a pipe or other sufficiently rigid member for extending and rigidly holding the handles beyond the body member. The connection between the crossbar and the body 9 is by suitable means such as the yokes I2 which are suitably attached to the bar II as by welding. The yokes are connected to the body member by bolts I4. The handles I5 are disposed beyond each end portion of the body member and are rigidly carried by the crossbar II and held by it so that the axes of the grip portions Il and I3 are generally perpendicular to the plane of the body member 9. However, it is desirable that these grips be slightly curved in a downwardly f direction toward the plane of the screen 2, as

shown, to facilitate a normal grasp by the hands of the operator.

In the operation of my improved printing machine a sign blank is placed on the table 5 and held in position adjacent the stencil I9, which is in contact with the screen 2, by the clamping action of the frame 3 against the surface 5 of the table 4. Paint is placed on the screen 2 and printing accomplished by two operators who move the squeegee longitudinally of the screen with the flexible wiping member or blade I0 pressed firmly and -uniformly against the screen, thus contacting the whole surface with the paint 20 and wiping off the excess substantially completely.

During the movement of the squeegee the operators must apply considerable pressure and it is desirable to prevent any movement of the handles relative to the body of the squeegee. If it be desired to have the cross-bar I I held relatively rigidly, or if the squeegee be relatively long, it is preferable to apply a wedge 2| between the body portion 9 of the squeegee and the crossbar II, and between the handles I5. By having the crossbar under tension, downward pressure on the handles by the operators will not cause substantial flexing of the crossbar. While the printing table has been described as being flat, it is obvious that it could be slightly curved longitudinally if desired.

I have found when the handles l5 are disposed beyond the body portion, and particularly when they are disposed as far or farther than the edge of the table frame3, that operators are enabled to exert a maximum of pressure uniformly on the squeegee blade l0 with a minimum of fatigue. With their hands thus disposed near their bodies, the operators are enabled to do satisfactory work even on large signs over the full working period without becoming unduly fatigued. Furthermore, the operators are better able to judge the required pressure and a more uniform deposit of paint is applied on all the signs.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the specic device herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is: i

l. In a sign printing device utilizing a squeegee and a frame for holding a screen over a sign blank, a squeegee having a longitudinal body member, a wiping blade carried by said body member at the lower portion thereof, a crossbar carrying handles at both ends, which handles are rigid with said crossbar, and means for nonro tatably and strongly connecting said crossbar and said handles to said body member, the axis of the grip portion of said handles being disposed substantially perpendicular to said crossbar and being generally perpendicular to the plane of said body member, whereby pressure of said squeegee on said screen may be readily adjusted, said crossbar being disposed substantially in the plane of said body member and extending at least to the edge of said frame. y

2. In a sign printing device a squeegee having a longitudinal body member with a wiping blade at its lower portion, acrossbar carrying handles at both ends, yokes for rigidly connecting said y crossbar to said body member adjacent the end portions thereof, and a wedge disposed between said yokes and between said body member and said crossbar to adjust the initial tension in said crossbar, said crossbar extending substantially beyond the body member, said handles being rigidly connected to said crossbar, the axis of the grip portions of said handles being substantially perpendicular to said crossbar and extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said body member but being inclined somewhat downwardly.

3. In a sign printing device a squeegee having a longitudinal body member with a wiping blade at its lower portion, a crossbar carrying handles at both ends, means adjacent each end portion of Said body member for rigidly connecting said crossbar to said body member, and means between said rigid connecting means for adjusting the initial tension between said body member and said crossbar, said crossbar extending substantially beyond the body member, said handles being rigidly connected to said crossbar, the axis of the grip portions of said handles being substantially perpendicular to said crossbar and extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said body member but being inclined somewhat downwardly.

4. In a sign printing device a squeegee having a longitudinal body member, a wiping blade carried by the lower portion of said body member, and a crossbar disposed longitudinally of the body member and connected thereto, said crossbar extending substantially beyond the ends of said body member and carrying handles at each end rigid therewith, said handles having grip portions disposed generally perpendicular to the plane of said body member, said crossbar extending sufficiently be'yond said body member to permit deflection by vertical printing pressure on said handles whereby an indication of the pressure on said screen may be had.,

5. In a sign printing device a squeegee having a, longitudinal body member, a wiping blade carried by the lower portion of said body member, and a crossbar disposed longitudinally of the body member and connected thereto, said crossbar extending substantially beyond the ends of said body member and carrying handles at each end rigid therewith, said handles having grip portions disposed generally perpendicular to the plane of said body member but being inclined slightly downward, said crossbar extending sufficiently beyond said body member to permit deiiection by vertical printing pressure on said handles whereby an indication of the pressure on said screen may be had.

SAMUEL J. MOLLET. 

